Stillwater Artisanal Ales

Maybe I'm out of my league, but I never hear anyone talk about Stillwater. I stay away because the price of his beers are outrageous (as with Mikkeller and Evil Twin). A local shop carries a ton of Stillwater, but I've never actually seen anyone buy it. So I ask this; is there a Stillwater beer worth pulling the trigger on?

Too expensive for what they are. Around here (CT) I can get a 750 ml of most of the great allagash beers for about $10 more, which is more quantity of IMO a better beer. 6-8 dollars for those small bottles is just stupid. If I'm spending that much for a small bottle ill buy Jacobite

There was a heated discussion about Stillwater on that thread before. It got locked down, eventually.

Bottom line for me, I enjoy the Stillwater beers that I do try. I really love Cellar Door in the Summer Months. However, I usually wait until local beer stores start marking them $2, $3, $4 off because they just don't move at those prices. I can't justify paying $12-$15 for a 750ml of Saison when so many other great examples are out there.

I've tried a good number of the Stillwater beers, most of which are solid. Admittedly, I can't really think of any that I would call extraordinary, but most are interesting and worth checking out. Just my two cents, but most of the BA reviews for these beers strike me as pretty much dead on (though like anythinig else, I wouldn't put too much stock in any BA score that is based on just one or two reviews).

My biggest complaint about Stillwater beers is the pricing. It's been pointed out to Brian S. (the brewer at Stillwater) that his prices are high, especially when one considers that most are contract brewed at the DOG brewery in Westminster, Md., with most priced considerably higher than their Belgian counterparts. It's often pointed out to him that the price for his flagship beer (the stateside saison) is nearly twice as expensive as the Dupont Saison here in the states. While the stateside saison is tasty, I don't think many consumers would suggest it's in the same league as the Dupont Saison.

So far, I've heard little justification for that pricing, and the explanations provided by Brain S. have not been very convincing (at least not to me). However, perhaps he'll do a better job on this thread. Brian S. has a BA account, and my impression is that he checks threads about his beer pretty frequently (or at least whenever the subject comes up, which isn't all that often). Cheers!

There was a heated discussion about Stillwater on that thread before. It got locked down, eventually.

Bottom line for me, I enjoy the Stillwater beers that I do try. I really love Cellar Door in the Summer Months. However, I usually wait until local beer stores start marking them $2, $3, $4 off because they just don't move at those prices. I can't justify paying $12-$15 for a 750ml of Saison when so many other great examples are out there.

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Which is why I can't pull the trigger when I can snatch up a Hennepin for half the price.

Many of Stillwater's labels are designed by Lee Verzosa, a tattoo artist at Ghost Town Odditorium in MD. Just a bit of trivia for you... I love tattoos even more than beer, so this was an interesting note that I picked up at last year's EBF.

Many of Stillwater's labels are designed by Lee Verzosa, a tattoo artist at Ghost Town Odditorium in MD. Just a bit of trivia for you... I love tattoos even more than beer, so this was an interesting note that I picked up at last year's EBF.

I bought two of his beers recently (Folklore and Existent). I had the Existent a few weeks ago, and thought it was delicious. The Folklore I have had before because a friend couldn't stand it. I think it is great.

Not sure why the complaining about price. In MD they are like 8.99 -9.99 a 750. Some of the smaller beers are like 6 or 7$...so don't buy those. Meanwhile ALL the Evil Twin beers are outrageous. I guess its different in other states.

Not sure why the complaining about price. In MD they are like 8.99 -9.99 a 750. Some of the smaller beers are like 6 or 7$...so don't buy those. Meanwhile ALL the Evil Twin beers are outrageous. I guess its different in other states.

There was a heated discussion about Stillwater on that thread before. It got locked down, eventually.

Bottom line for me, I enjoy the Stillwater beers that I do try. I really love Cellar Door in the Summer Months. However, I usually wait until local beer stores start marking them $2, $3, $4 off because they just don't move at those prices. I can't justify paying $12-$15 for a 750ml of Saison when so many other great examples are out there.

I love these breweries who focus on Belgian style brews and Saisons. When the weather starts getting warmer this brewery is always a sure shot when I'm done with barley wines and stouts for the year. This is the same reason I like JP and Vivant.

While the beer is pricey, just make sure you understand why. For starters, the beer is contract/gypsy brewed, so cost is partially controlled by the brewery that brews it for Stillwater. Secondly, the beer passes through 12% Imports and then to distribution - so the price will go up a bit compared to other American beer.

AS for quality, they make incredible beer, whether I love every single one or not. I'll continue to support it...especially if the price creeps down a bit as bstill seems to be hinting at...

I feel Stillwater makes great beers and I like to have something from them once a month. They are a little pricey but I feel it is worth it. The only stuff I haven't been a big fan of is the beers they put in bourbon barrels, but their wine barrel aged beers are great.

I've only had a few Stillwater beers, and only on tap at Of Love and Regret in Canton (great place btw). Never purchased a bottle. Every one I have had has been very unique and made me think, "Wow, this tastes like no other beer I have had." Not necessarily my favorites, but all enjoyable. As Follows is probably my favorite.

Maybe I'm out of my league, but I never hear anyone talk about Stillwater. I stay away because the price of his beers are outrageous (as with Mikkeller and Evil Twin). A local shop carries a ton of Stillwater, but I've never actually seen anyone buy it. So I ask this; is there a Stillwater beer worth pulling the trigger on?

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IMO not worth it, too expensive compared to many comparable or even better beers even in MD.

IMO not worth it, too expensive compared to many comparable or even better beers even in MD.

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Not to rehash the previous thread, but that's exactly my point. As consumers, there are a lot of options out there these days, so price and value are always going to be a consideration. As I indicated, I think Stillwater beers are intereseting and pretty solid, but typically they're not so wonderful (IMHO) that I want to forgo the opportunity to drink several other good beers, just to drink a Stillwater beer (it's all about opportunity cost).

There may be plenty of good reasons why Stillwater beers are so expensive (I haven't heard them yet, at least not to my satisfaction), but that doesn't make my wallet feel any better when I'm forced to plunk down $11 or $12 for a 11.2 ounce stubbie of the Now and Then project. Sure it's a nice beer, but at least for me, I feel I can find a number of equally satisfactory options (or better options) for far less money. Until that changes, I probably will continue to drink Stillwater beers infrequently.

I think Stillwater beers are unique and consistently very well made with subtlety and complexity, and I seek them out. Cellar Door is probably my favorite saison. Autumnal, Folklore, and Debutante were all great. Of Love And Regret was really good too if you can still find it.

The price is high on some of them but so are a lot of beers from other good breweries. Stillwater has earned enough respect from me for me to try anything I see from them at least once. Some were not my thing (Existent, Table Beer) but they can't all be winners.

There was a heated discussion about Stillwater on that thread before. It got locked down, eventually.

Bottom line for me, I enjoy the Stillwater beers that I do try. I really love Cellar Door in the Summer Months. However, I usually wait until local beer stores start marking them $2, $3, $4 off because they just don't move at those prices. I can't justify paying $12-$15 for a 750ml of Saison when so many other great examples are out there.

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From that thread:

wow.. i guess only breweries like Lost Abby & Russian River can release $20+ 375ml beers?

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The fallacy behind that kind of comparison is that Lost Abbey and Russian River have huge reputations that are built up over years of producing highly-acclaimed beers (and not only their expensive ones, either) so they can get away with that kind of pricing (if the beer backs it up). Convincing someone to spend pricing comparable to a Lost Abbey or Russian River sour/Belgian style beer from a small gypsy brewery they might have never heard of is a much more difficult proposition.